PRS Collection Up 3.2 Percent

PRS For Music says it collected £630.8 million (about $1 billion) in royalties in 2011, 3.2 percent more than the £611.2 million it picked up the previous year.

The UK collection agency says the increase is because of continued strength of UK music in international markets, the growth of new licensed digital services and music’s essential role in television and radio.

Only royalties from recorded media, including CD and DVD sales, declined.

There was a 45.3 percent increase from licensed digital services to £38.5 million ($61.6 million), meaning firms like iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and we7 now account for a record 6 percent of total collections.

Royalties collected from the use of UK music overseas rose 10.6 percent to £187.7 million ($300.2 million) which – apart from highlighting the popularity of UK music around the world – is also partly down to better coordination and cooperation with collecting societies in other countries.

Live music royalty collections grew 8.2 percent to £22.5 million ($36 million), largely on the back of major tours from acts such as Take That and the continued growth of the UK festival market.

The 13.3 percent fall in royalties for CDs and DVDs, which stood at £101.6 million ($162.5 million), reflects the market shift away from these formats towards digital distribution.

PRS chief exec Robert Ashcroft says the efforts to support copyright at home and abroad, combined with the energy put into the licensing of new digital services, has enabled his organisation to increase the royalties paid to its members.